Bucket device and wringer



April 21, 1970 M; J. CORAMINAS BUCKET DEVICE AND WRINGER Filed June 21,1968 IN VEN TOR. J/il ON 6 0,? AM/l1646' United States Patent 3,506,997BUCKET DEVICE AND WRINGER Manuel Jalon Coraminas, Manufacturas RodexS.A., Carretera de Logrono, Km. 1, Zaragoza, Spain Filed June 21, 1968,Ser. No. 738,906 Int. Cl. A471 13/58 U.S. Cl. 262 4 Claims ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE Apparatus comprising a container for holding a cleaningfluid therein with a recess in the lower portion thereof, and a crossbar extending across said recess, and upwardly on opposite sides of thecontainer and pivotally connected to two-L-shaped members disposed inopposite directions and pivotally secured to the sides of saidcontainer, and having wringer members secured to the upper ends of saidL-shaped members so that depressing of the cross bar extending throughthe recess in the container will cause the wringer members to movetoward each other and to extract water or cleansing fiuid from a mopthat is disposed between said wringer members.

The present invention relates to an improved bucket for use in cleaningoperations, and more particularly for use in conjunction with a mopwherein the mop is wrung out from time to time.

One important object of the present invention is to provide thecombination of a bucket and wringer that can be made in an economicaland simple manner.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a simple containerthat can be mass produced and can be made of a lightweight material,such as plastic and the like, and which is provided with a recess in thelower portion thereof that communicates with slot means so that atransverse bar member having its opposite ends extending upwardly onopposite sides of the bucket can be fastened to linkage means whichcause wringer members to be moved toward each other when the transversebar member is depressed to extract liquid from a mop disposedtherebetween.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide acombination bucket and wringer for cleaning purposes that can be used byanyone by visual observation and which does not need any specificinstructions with it in order to enable a person to use it to clean afloor and the like.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a bucket with awringer attachment secured thereto in which the wringer attachment isdisposed thereon so that when it is used, it will not upset the bucketas happens in many conventional type wringers attached to buckets usedheretofore.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a bucket witha wringer arrangement thereon in which the wringer is actuated toextract water from a mop by depressing a transversely extending crossbar disposed in a recess in the lower portion of the bucket so that thefoot, when utilized to depress the transverse member, will cause asteadying action on the bucket and will exert a force that will preventthe bucket from being accidentally tipped over when the wringer is inuse.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a bucket with awringer arrangement in which oppositely disposed roller members are onL-shaped means pivotally secured to the bucket and to a single bar meanswhich is depressed by the foot of the user in order to actuate theroller members.

Various other objects and advantages of the present invention will bereadily apparent from the following detailed description when consideredin connection with the accompanying drawings, and forming a partthereof, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the combination bucket and wringerdevice embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a section taken along the lines 22 of FIGURE 1, butenlarged, illustrating in detail the wringer device embodied in thepresent invention; and

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary detail taken along the lines 33 of FIGURE 2 onan enlarged scale, illustrating the wringer and L-shaped membersembodied therein as seen from the end thereof.

Referring to the drawings, reference number 10 generally designates abucket or container for holding cleansing fluid such as water, with adetergent therein, or any other suitable cleansing fluid or liquid. Thebucket is preferably made of plastic material and is provided with sidewalls 12 and end walls 14, and generally has a larger cross-sectionalarea 16 adjacent its upper end than at its lower end. The lower end ofthe bucket is provided with a bottom 18, as best seen in FIGURE 2, andhas curved downwardly extending legs or feet 20 at the corners thereof.It will be noted that the legs or feet 20 which extend below the bottom18 cause the bottom 18 to be disposed in spaced relationship with thefloor or surface upon which the bucket is disposed. One end wall of thebucket, as best seen in FIGURE 1, is provided with an arcuate recess 22therein. The recess 22 extends substantially above the bottom 18 of thebucket, as is readily apparent from the view shown in FIGURE 2, and isof such a configuration so that the foot of a person can be insertedtherein. A transverse bar 24 extends across the recess 22 and throughand beyond two vertical slots 26 extending through the feet 20 adjacentthe arcuate recess 22, and the wall portion 30, forming the recess. Theopposite ends of the transverse bar 24 are bent upwardly and formupwardly inclined bars 32 extending along the side walls 12 of thebucket.

The upper edge of the bucket is provided with a downturned lip or rim 34extending around the complete upper edge thereof. The rim 34 is furtherprovided with a downwardly depending skirt 36 adjacent the side wallsthereof closest to the recess 22. The skirts 36 are reinforced at theiropposite ends by downwardly extending portions 38, as best seen inFIGURE 2. Vertical, solid ribs 42 extend outwardly of the side wall 12and inwardly of the downwardly extending portions 38. An axle or headedbar or screw member having a threaded portion 44 extends through theskirt 36 and the rib 42 and acts as a pivot member, as hereinafterdescribed.

The pivot members 44 nearest the recess 22 have pivotally disposedthereon an L-shaped member 46, having a vertical leg 48 and a horizontalleg 50. The vertical leg 48 and the horizontatl leg 50 are disposed atapproximately degrees or at a right angle with one another. The outerend of the leg 50 has an opening therein in which is disposed a bar orpivot member 52.

The pivot members 44 disposed farther away from the recess 22 have anL-shaped member 54 pivotally connected thereto, comprising a verticalleg 56 and a horizontal leg 58. The vertical and horizontal legs aredisposed at substantially 90 degrees or at right angles with respect toeach other, and the leg 56 is slightly curved or arcuate, while the leg58 is provided with a longitudinally extending slot 60 therein. Thepivot member 52 extends through the slot 60 of the leg 58 and theL-shape 54 is disposed outwardly of the L-shaped member 46, as best seenin FIGURE 3. The L-shaped member 46 is in spaced relationship with theL-shaped member 54. Adjacent the horizontal legs 50 and 58, the upperend of the bar members 32 are provided with an opening therein throughwhich the pivot member 52 extends, as best seen in FIGURE 3. TheL-shaped member 46 is provided with a substantially horizontal extendingroller member 62 connected by pins 64 to the legs 48, while the L-shapedmember 54 is provided with a roller member 66 connected by pins 68 tothe upper end of the legs 56.

The bucket is further provided with a bar. type handle member 70 havingits opposite ends secured to ribs 72 disposed in the end walls 14 of thebucket. A spring or biasing member 74 is wrapped around the pivotmembers 44 nearest the recess 22 and are normally biased to keep theL-shaped members 46 in an upright position, as shown in solid lines inFIGURE 2.

Referring to FIGURE 2, the wringer device is normally disposed in theposition shown in solid lines therein, wherein the roller members 62 and66 are disposed in spaced relationship in a position where they arefarthest apart from each other. When it is desired to wring out orextract water from a mop that has been soiled, the mop head is insertedbetween the spaced roller members 62 and 66 and the bar 24 is depressedwith the bottom of the operators foot so that the transverse bar 24moves downwardly in the slots 26. This will cause the upright barmembers 32 to be pulled downwardly so as to pull the pivot members 52downwardly and further cause the horizontal leg 50 of the L-shapedmember 46 and the horizontal leg 58 of the L-shaped member 54 to bedepressed or to be pulled downwardly into the dotted position shown inFIGURE 2. During this time, the pivot members 52'will slide downwardlyin the longitudinal slots 60 of the horizontal leg 58. This movement ofthe bars 32 and the horizontal legs will cause the upper legs 48 and 56of the respective L- shaped members to move toward one another so thatthe roller members 62 and 66 carried thereby will also move toward oneanother and into the position shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 2, so thatthe roller members will squeeze against the mop head inserted betweenthe rollers and as the mop head is pulled out between the rollers, thewater will be extracted therefrom and fall down into the container.

When it is desired to stop the wringer action of the roller members, itis only necessary to remove the foot from the treadle or cross bar 24and the springs 74 will bias the pivot members 52 upwardly and theL-shaped members will be caused to be returned to their solid lineposition in spaced apart relationship, as best seen in FIG- URE 2.

From the foregoing description, it is apparent that the foregoinginvention provides a novel, lightweight, plastic container or bucketwith a simple treadle action and wringer device which causes wringerrollers to be moved r toward one another. It will further not that thebucket is provided with a recess therein in the lower portion thereoffor inserting the foot therein so that the bottom of the operators footwill cause a cross bar to be moved downwardly so as to give a steadyingforce when the wringer action is in operation so that the bucket willnot inadvertently be tipped over during cleaning of the mop.

What is claimed is: Y 1. A foot-actuated bucket and wringer combinationcomprising:

(A) a bucket with a wringer mechanism attached thereto; (B) a compactenclusure possessing a relatively small periphery relative to theadjacent wall member and externally positioned immediately below theupper edge of the bucket extending downwardly for a short distance fromsaid upper edge, said enclosure including (1) a skirt member disposed isa substantially parallel orientation to the adjacent bucket wall beingspaced apart therefrom to form an opening accessible throughout thelength thereof from the bottom of said skirt.

(2) a skirt reinforcing member securing said skirt to said wall,

(C) a wringer mechanism including,

( 1) a pair of foot-actuated movable rollers in substantially parallelalignment with each other disposed in a plane overlying the top edge ofsaid bucket and adapted for releasable contact for expelling water froma wet cleaning implement placed therebetween,

(2) first lever means, the upper end being rotatably secured at the endof one roller, and pivotally connected to said skirt at its intermediateportion,

(3) second lever means having its upper end rotatably secured to theother roller and pivotally connected to said skirt at its intermediateportion,

(4) said first and second lever means being substantially positionedwithin said enclosure and pivotally connected to each other and to anactuator bar, said actuator bar extending downwardly to a foot treadletraversing a recess in and bottom portion of said bucket.

2. The combination in accordance with claim 1, wherein said intermediateportion of said lever means is pivotally secured to a rib member formedin said closure, said first lever means further including substantiallyL- shaped members having vertical and horizontal leg portions, saidhorizontal leg of one member inclined upwardly toward the other memberin an overlapping relationship, one of said horizontal legs having alongitudinal slot formed therein for receiving a pin about which bothhorizontal legs pivot.

3. The combination in accordance with claim 2, wherein a biasing springis provided about a pin removably positioned in said rib, one end ofsaid biasing spring being held by the horizontal leg of one of saidlever means, the other end of said spring compressingly retained by saidskirt reinforcing member whereby said spring acts directly on said leverto keep the rollers apart when the device is not in use.

4. The combination in accordance with claim 3, wherein the upper edge ofsaid enclosure includes a transverse section secured to the upper edgeof said bucket wall and provided with a narrow guide slot whereby thevertical portion of said lever means project through said slot forrotatable attachment to said rollers.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,074,097 1/1963 Spier 15-262FOREIGN PATENTS 987,512 4/1951 France.

WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner L. G. MACHLIN, Assistant Examiner

